What Do You Do With Your Dogs When You Go Out?

[Nushie]

Jager has access inside and outside via a dog door. We shut off part of the house with a baby gate (usually just the bedrooms) when we arent there so that the cat has her space. He spends most of his time inside generally only goes out to toilet and bark at any birds that dare land on the ground.

Just noticed your avatar Nushie, is Jager a pug? May I ask what you do on the really hot summer days - do you continue to give him indoor/outdoor access as usual or keep him inside if it's too warm? Odie is a frenchie so I worry about her overheating & not having the sense to come back inside if she gets too hot.

She also loves to alert the townspeople of any birds that invade our yard :laugh:

Yep he is a pug alright!

He barely spends any time outside unless we are out there with him. So he still gets both in and out in summer. We leave the fan on for him, close the blinds to keep the heat out (except the one that he looks out of) and we have a cooling mat - which i have never seen him use :) He pretty much sleeps the entire day (conserves his energy for zoomies when we get home from work) and we take him for a walk later when the sun is going down so that it isnt as hot.

He has a thing for helicopters as well. Planes, no problems but if a helicopter dares fly over the house he is outside chasing it away.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Nushie

[JackieW]

Mine are in the house when I'm out, the old girl has the run of the house and the younger dog is crated. One day a week I'm out for at least 4 hours so they're outside then in the huge shed and dog yard and I keep my fingers crossed they're not too noisy. If I'm going out all day I'll probably try to book them into day care. I'd actually prefer to keep them in the house but don't want Granville crated more than 3 hours. I daren't leave him loose indoors http://www.dolforums.com.au/public/style_emoticons/default/eek1.gif.

[ash1]

All the dogs (x6) have free run of the house and yard during the day when I'm home - I work from home, so this is most of the time. If I go out, it's usually only for a couple of hours or so and they are locked into the house; the three seniors and the best behaved junior in the main part of the house and the two naughtiest juniors in another large room, but with a gate that they can all see and hear each other.

At night they're all inside the house, only let outside for toilet breaks before bedtime, then inside to sleep until morning.

[JulesP]

During the day they are outside but they have a sunroom that they can go into. If I go out at night I lock them in the sunroom as I don't want them chasing possums. They come in during the evening and sleep inside during winter. During summer they sleep in the sunroom.

[Agility Dogs]

My guys are locked in the back yard with access to a large under cover deck area and the entire garden, but are fenced about 20m back from the street with lots in their way to stop them barking at passers by.

If we have an injury or an issue between the dogs they have their own runs and the yard has two seperated areas that can be gated from each other on top of that if it is necessary.

We are at work for 10 or 11 hours so until next time I have a puppy they'll be like this and are far happier. Puppy will most likely take up residence in one of the runs. We had a friend's 10 w.o. pup stay with us a while back and he was fine in the run beside my younger (and quieter) dog.

[tdierikx]

I have 4 dogs. 2 have access to the backyard and kitchen, 1 has free run of the rest of the house, and the destructo horse puppy is crated (in a crate much larger than she needs) when I'm not home.

I have 2 dogs that cannot run together because if they have a fight, it's to the death, and I don't want to come home to a dead dog. The horse puppy knocks over the old girl, so they don't run together either.

All of my dogs are fine with the routine, and still get plenty of one-on-one mummy time with me... that said, I don't really have much of a social life, and prefer the company of my dogs.

T.

[westiemum]

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The upside to having dogs outside is I come and go as I please without anyone stressing over it.

They are are all laying in the sun atm, one is asleep on the couch in the garage. :)

Similarly Juice, I have two elderly westies and a younger one who had unrestricted access to the house and outside through a doggy door 24/7. But during winter, I suspect the young one started weeing inside so he didn't get his feet wet. So mine are now restricted to the kitchen with water and their beds and the doggy door. They didn't like kit at all - particularly being banned from the lounge and someone scratched the kitchen door in the early days, but they seem to have settled well and no probs since - although they do bang the door when they hear me come home! I've been in my house over ten years and about seven with the dogs - not one barking complaint . Touch wood.

[minimax]

My pugs are inside in the kitchen and sunroom (which doesn't get any sun), and in summer they get the bathroom as well coz they like the tiles. Baby gates block them off from the rest of the house.

They don't get free reign of the house because they would fight over everything and they don't get access to the yard as we're on a corner block and I don't like them being so 'exposed' to people walking past, despite 6 foot fences and padlocks.

When we are home they have free reign of the house and yard, and sleep on my bed at night.

I have a dog walker that comes 3 times a week during the day and walks them for an hour.

Edited September 19, 2013 by minimax

[mel_]

Ollie is out in the yard, he pretty much owns it now. There's plenty of shelter and he has a crate outside with a roof and his bedding. Fortunately there is usually someone home during the week so he's never on his own for a whole day. He can't be trusted in the house without supervision!

[shirra]

My 2 yr old girl lives indoors 24/7 as I don't have a yard. She has a routine for meals and toilet walks which make it easy for me to leave her indoors unattended for up to 4 or 5 hours if I need to.

Having said that, I'm retired and rarely absent from home for more than a couple of hours. If I'm going out for more than 4 or 5 hours I leave her with my doggy friends, or in my daughter's backyard with a yummy bone.

Fortunately she isn't a destructo dog, in fact I'm sure she naps while I'm out as toys are still in the same position when I get home and neighbours report she doesn't bark

Edited September 19, 2013 by lou_x

[Guest Clover]

Inside/ outside access 24/7 here. They spend a lot of time outside on fine days.

[Zombie Bait]

Brembo is outside during the day whilst I'm out. If I go out at night I lock him in the house (lounge, kitchen, dining area).

[bianca.a]

I leave my two inside free to roam the house. If I'm going to be away for hours, my parents will let them out for toileting.

[Guest hankodie]

I personally think outside is much more interesting and stimulating for them but obviously if you have a dog that likes to react to those simulations then that's not always a good thing :)

Have you considered one of those collars that sprays a citrus scent when the dog barks for Odie when you're not at home to stop him barking?

Very true Leah82, she's just fine if I come out into the yard with them but when she's out there on her own it's a different story. She just seems to feel the need to alert everybody of her presence :laugh: We are working through her reactivity issues with the trainer and she's mostly fine at home inside, but I still have to be around to tell her enough.

I've read mixed reviews on the barking collar, I might look into it if it'll help at all with the issue.

[Guest hankodie]

All of my dogs are fine with the routine, and still get plenty of one-on-one mummy time with me... that said, I don't really have much of a social life, and prefer the company of my dogs.

T.

I'm much the same tdierikx hence why I worry so much if I have to leave them! They're fine though - they hardly notice I'm gone :laugh:

[Remarkabull]

When no one is home my 2 Bulldogs are outside and the 2 small dogs are inside (although sometimes the JRT chooses to stay out as well). When someone is home they can choose to be wherever they want. They have access to the who,e house and all 4 sleep inside at night. If we are out after dark all 4 stay inside. All 4 dogs can run together and we have no problems :)

[ktig]

When we're home, the dogs have access to inside/outside via a dog door as they please - which tends to be snoozing inside and taking themselves out for toilet breaks. When we're out they have the backyard, which has a large undercover area as well as access to the laundry (where their crates are) via the dog door. They sleep in my room at night, but if we're out of an evening I find they're pretty settle in the laundry until we're back as long as I leave a light on for them - otherwise they tend to patrol :)

[Beckybecbec]

Currently inside during the day. Having two pups 6 weeks apart they are separated by a pet gate.

Most afternoons either my partner or myself will go home and open the gate in between to let them spend a few hours together alone to build up to when their together full days outside.

This past Sunday they had their first full day together inside - closely monitored on the "Pet Cam" :laugh:

When we're home they can be found anywhere they like :) Backdoor is left open and they're more often than not found together sleeping, wrestling or exploring.

Night time they are in their crates in the spare room. Infact... bed time for them very soon

[Steph M]

I have to admit Master Gus does as he pleases. He has indoor and outdoor (grassed and decking) access and free ranges happily. So far so good (for a 5mo old puppy)! The naughtiest thing he does is sleep on the spare couch and perhaps bring the odd bone in to eat on the rug.

Usually we come home to find him bleary eyed from a hard day of napping.

[OSoSwift]

Mine go into their dog yard. I can't leave them locked inside as it is too hot in summer and I have a phobia about having a house fire and they are locked in and cant get away. Also if we have a bush fire go through they are safer surrounded by green grass than in a house.

Their dog yard is fully grassed and has a tree in it. There are two dog runs attached with crates and sack beds. Currently I have the two adults together and the last remaining pup and my own together with the dog yard fenced into two. Once Wilson is older they will all go in together. They have toys, bones, treats and have no worries with fighting so far. Snakes are a real issue here, so no dog doors for us and the dog yard is fully fenced with snakemesh and has rubber seals on the gates etc.

Sometimes if we go out in the evening and I forget to put them in the yard and leave them inside they are usually asleep and have no idea we were missing.

Edited September 19, 2013 by OSoSwift